Railroad-switch.



v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

ROBERT T. MAVIN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 650,152, dated May 22, 1900.

Application filed December 23, 1899. Serial No. 741,426. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT T. MAVIN, a citizen of the Uni ted States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad-switches, and has for its object to provide an improved switch wherein the usual stationary frog is dispensed with.

In switches now commonly in use stationary frogs are used, which soon become worn out by heavy traffic and repairs must constantly be made. By my present invention I combine an improved construction of switch and a movable frog-rail, which are connected in such a manner that when the switch is moved the frog-rail will also be moved corre- .spondingly.

As part of my invention I provide improved means for securing the ends of the rails at switches to the cross-ties.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a railroad-bed and illustrates the improved switch closed, the main-line track being continuous. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the ends of the switch-rails and shows the improved device for securing the said ends in position, the plate being in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. tis a side View of my improved eccentric switchrail shifter. Fig. 5 illustrates a plan view of the center plate on which the frog-rail is swiveled. Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the slotted end rail-plates. Fig. 7 is a vertical crosssection on the line 7 7 of Fig. 1 and shows the.

frog-rail, the center plate, and the side plates for swiveling the same together. Fig. 8 is a side view of one frog-rail plate.

Referring to the drawings, a designates the stationary rails of the mainline, b the stationary branch or siding rails, and c the movable switching-rails, which are adapted to be moved to register with either the main line or the siding.

At the ends 0 of the switching-rails c and the adjoining ends of the stationary rails CL and b I provide two cross-ties e with a space between them, and on top of said cross-ties is secured a flat plate f, whose opposite sides rest, respectively, on said two cross-ties e. The plate f has position above and bridges over the space between said two cross-ties and is provided with a segment-slot which extends longitudinally. This plate is to be secured to the cross-ties by spikes or in any other suitable way.

The ends of the stationary rails a and b and the ends of the switching-rails e are each provided on opposite sides with plates h, which are secured to the rails by bolts '5. (See Figs. 2 and 3.) These plates h extend parallel with the web or shank of the rail and have a lateral flange h, which seats on the rail-flange and at the outer edge of the railfiange turns downward and terminates in a hook 713. The ends of the three rails a b 0' rest on the said plate f, and the hooks h on the side plates h pass down through the slots g and engage under the vertical edges of said slots, as in Fig. 2'. By this construction the ends of the rails a b are secured down to the ties, and the ends 0 of the switching-rails c are, by means of the hooks k and slots g, horizontally movable, so that said ends 0' of the switch-rails may register with either the rails a. or b.

In ordinary switches now in use frogs are employed to enable the rolling-stock to be transferred from one line to another, and these frogs are diffieult to maintain on account of the hard blows they receive from the wheels passing over them. In place of the usual frog an oscillating frog-rail 7c is employed. This frog-rail rests on a center plate l, (see Fig. 5,) which has rounded ends j, and is provided near its center with two reverselycurved segment-slots m, and when this center plate is in position on the two cross-ties n the segment-slots open into the space between the said ties. The frog-rail k at its center or swiveling-point is provided on opposite sides with plates 0, (see Figs. 1, 7, and 8,) and said plates are each provided with a central downward and laterally extending finger p, which passes through one of the slots m in the plate Z and engages on the under side of said plate. It will thus be seen that when the center plate Z is secured to the ties at the frog-rail k may be oscillated by means of the fingers 19 moving in the segtrio forthe switch-rails is designatedtand 1 statienarywith respect to each other. The eceentrics t and t are both set alike on the rod v A ating-lever w,-w-hereby the rod may be made toturn a half-revolution.

meant-slots m. At either side of the center or sWiVe1ing=point the frog-railis provided with the plates 'h, previously described as on the switch-rail and having the hooks 71 en' gaging under the rounded ends j of thecen ter plate 1. In order to bettersecure thejrog rail is, I provideadditional plates q, secured to the cross-ties, and side plates h, secured on the frog-rail, and with hooks J13. The platesq on the cross-ties are segment-shaped, but are without the slots, and the hooks-Ja engage the curved edges of the said plates q. At both ends the frog-rail 76 restson' slotted plates f, and the frog-rair'endsareeachp'ro;'

Vided with the side plates h, with the hooks a rea y de ri e r In order to operate-the movable switchingrails c and the frog-rail 7c in unison, I providespecial mechanism, which will now be de er bedi -The two switching-rails c are oonnectedjtogether by a tie-rod 0", which is suitably secured to the rails. The frog-rail his also pro vided at its ends with rods 8 s, and at their opposite ends said rods 8 and s androd r of the-switching-rail are each connected with an eccentric-strap of an eccentric. The eccenifor the frog-rail is 25 t A rod 1; extends par allel with the main-line track and passes through holes in each of the said three eccentrics, and keys a secure the rod and eccentric tgzwhile themiddle eccentric t is set to move in the reverse direction from the others. At one end the rod 'v'is provided with an opera The'operation is simple and as follows: In Fig 1 the switch is closed and the main line is intact-.- To 'open the switch, the operator will swing the lever w over or away from the track, and thereby turn the rod '0 for a halfrevolution. The eccentrics being keyed to the rod '12 turn freely within their straps.

he rod rancl wi dra those ends of the rails over, while the middle eccentric t, which is set in the opposite direction, will push that end of the frog-rail is over to register with the stationary branch railsb.

A Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isw -1.- In a railroad-switch the combination of the crossties; stationary main and siding -rails; movable switching-rails; an oscillating frog-rail interposed atthe intersecting-point of the main and siding rails and provided at "eachside and midway between its ends with a plate, 0, each having a downward-extendg g a c nter plate immovably secured to the cross-ties midway between-the eindsjof said frog-rail and provided wibhrevelfsely' curved segment-slots which receive l hesaid downward-extending fingers on theplates, 0, said slots and fingers forming the solepivot connection between the said oscillating frograilaud center plate; and means -forfioperating the switching-rails and frog-rails-imultaneously. r

2. In a railroad-switch the combination of the cross-ties; stationary main and siding rails; movable switching-rails; plates secured to the cross-ties upon which the endsof the said rails rest and having -segment-slots; plates, h, secured to the ends of the rails and eachplate having a downward; flange which passes down through the said slot said flange having'a hook which takes on the under side thereof; an oscillating frog-rail interposed at the intersecting-point or crossing of the main and siding rails; an operating-rodg a plural number of eccentrics carried on said rod and means connecting the said eccentrics with the movable switchin g-rails and also thesaid frograil. a In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the'presence of two witnesses.-

" i ROBERT T. MAVIN.

\Vitnesses: 7

ROBERT C. RHODES.

The two eccentrics t and 15 being set to pull on CHARLES Vni'rsorr. 

